Polēpolē

Polēpolē Is Melbourne's Newest Culinary Wildebeest, Taking Diners on a Bewildering African-Fusion Adventure of the Palate

African inspired Melbourne bar polēpolē, (meaning relax, slowdown and take it easy, in Swahili) has refined its operation across two levels to offer an exquisite full-service dining space downstairs and a fun filled yet sophisticated watering hole upstairs.

Inspired by extensive travels through Eastern Africa, owners Dean and Jeanelle Mariani fell in love with the vibrant cuisine and rich culture of Tanzania and Kenya, an adoration that they have carefully infused into their venue on Lt Collins Street in the Melbourne CBD.

Mixing modern Australian cuisine and traditional African recipes and ingredients, guests at polēpolē are instantly drawn to the exquisite flavours of each thoughtfully curated dish on the menu – hand crafted from spices sourced around Australia and throughout Africa.

"The ethos behind polēpolē was to blend our love of African flavours with Melbourne's stylish Food and Wine culture – the result has been something incredibly unique in Melbourne's thriving restaurant scene," said Dean and Jeanelle Mariani.

Brazilian born Head Chef, Felipe Bley, is fresh off the tails of a one-year culinary adventure in Switzerland and is delighted to be back with the team. Felipe, who was behind the original bar menu, is excited to lead the venue's new chapter, evolving from bar serving delicious, African-inspired snacks to the double offering it is today - with two lively and cohesive venues in one - offering everything from after work drinks to unique restaurant dining and events.

Chef Felipe will be busy smoking many of his meats in-house, including the wildly popular smoked goat curry. With each dish designed for sharing, polēpolē provides the perfect opportunity to take yourself on a culinary safari through the plains of east Africa, across the Nullarbor and back to Little Collins. By bringing a fusion experience, the polēpolē team have been able to get creative and be inspired by places and ingredients.

For the more adventurous diners, polēpolē offers a rotating special menu featuring African inspired Game dishes - scarcely available outside the Serengeti. Each week, an exciting star dish graces the specials board – featuring unique ingredients such as fresh crocodile, roasted buffalo and char-grilled wild boar, to name a few.

The attention to detail does not stop at the delicious food, Dean and Jeanelle have sourced twelve of the best African beers – many of which are rarely seen outside of their homeland alongside a solid cocktail list that is sure to delight.

You can visit this African-Australian wonderland Tuesday through Saturday from 5pm-late, and lunch now served on Fridays from midday, at 267 Little Collins St, Melbourne, VIC. For bookings and further information visit: http://www.polepole.com.au/

After enjoying a delicious meal, diners can simply wander up the stairs to sister venue Glamp Bar and be transported to their oasis in the city. Glamp (short for Glamping) is another world, bursting with colour and home to a resident White Rhino that greets you at the top of the stairs. This unique cocktail bar is the perfect spot for a post dinner cocktail to end the night right.